Renascentia
by shannyfish
Summary: Pepper's world is turned upside down and a ghost returns to do further damage… Takes place during "Iron Man 2". Sequel to "Oblítus". Second in the "Memoria Damnum" Series.


**Title:** Renascentia

**Author:** Shannon – shannyfish

**Disclaimer:** Iron Man and Avengers do not belong to me, but Marvel Entertainment and Disney. This is for entertainment purposes only.

**Rating:** MA

**Summary:** Pepper's world is turned upside down and a ghost returns to do further damage… Takes place during "Iron Man 2". Sequel to "Oblítus"

**Warning:** This is going to have adult content and situations. Non-consent. It may possibly contain graphic scenes.

**Author's Note: **Hopefully this doesn't get confusing! Constructive criticism is appreciated! Also, I miss all of you that I end up having PM conversations with! I feel like I either need a facebook page where I could keep up with you guys or IMs or something! :D Plus, I'm always happy for someone to be like 'hey, have you thought about writing…'

. . .

"_It quite often happens that the old man is subject to the delusion of a great moral renewal and __rebirth__, and from this experience he passes judgments on the work and course of his life, as if he had only now become clear-sighted; and yet the inspiration behind this feeling of well-being and these confident judgements is not wisdom, but weariness ." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche_

. . .

Life certainly wasn't getting any easier. She was CEO of Stark Industries, but it just gave her the ability to use all the responsibility that Tony had…that she always attended to. Given that Pepper was determined to get Stark on track, there were far too many things to do. The incident in Monaco wasn't helping things… Sometimes she just didn't know how Tony intended to make it through life… Tinker away in the workshop of his house by day? Party and pick up a random girl to sleep with by night? It wasn't a life…

Though as she looked out her office window, she wondered if this was the life she wanted. The life she really wanted. Pepper wasn't even sure if she knew what she wanted. So much of her life had been focused on her career and getting ahead… She'd traveled the world and met important people, but was that what she wanted?

She didn't know.

As CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper had power and the responsibility that came with it. She sighed and hated herself suddenly. She was missing Tony… She found herself missing the house… She missed JARVIS. She was still mad at Tony, but relieved that he was okay at the same time.

"Do you need anything else, Ms. Potts?" Natalie Rushman asked as she set the cup of coffee and the stack of files on her desk.

"That'll be all, Ms. Rushman."

"Can I tell Happy how much longer you'll be?" she asked politely.

"Tell Happy to go home… I'll use one of the cars here," she said. Tony had so many cars in his name, it was ridiculous. Normally, Happy drove him everywhere. Now, Happy took her everywhere. But it wasn't necessary for him to wait around for hours and hours just to drive her home when she could just take one of the cars that was collecting dust and drive that home.

"Are you absolutely sure, Ms. Potts?"

"I'm sure," Pepper told her. "Thank you, Ms. Rushman."

Sometimes it was nice to be able to banish everyone and have quiet. She was too used to being the person who did all the work anyways…at least the paper and non-construction-type work. As she stared at the computer screen, she sighed and then rubbed her face. She was tired. It had been a long day, but she was determined to get things done.

Pepper picked up her coffee and took a long sip and just hoped that it would keep her awake long enough. She knew that if she really didn't feel up to driving herself home that she could either crash on a couch or call Happy…and she knew that he would be delighted to pick her up and drive her home. It never mattered the time or circumstance with Happy, he was always willing to do anything for her. He was sweet like that.

. . .

He'd waited and watched. Tapping into the cameras into Stark Industries had taken him no time. The waiting was what had taken its toll. He didn't like being patient. He liked to be the one with all the power, with the ability to go in and take what he wanted. And there she was…and she pretty much had his old job. An accounting secretary promoted beyond her means…

He knew what this was really all about…

With no need to wait any longer, he took the route he had disabled cameras to. If Tony had any interest in his own company, he'd have suggested for him to work on the security system, but he'd rather play in his workshop. Right now, that was completely fine. It meant that nothing would be in his way.

Pepper Potts was all alone in her office.

Sometimes her need for keeping things on schedule and staying on top of things was a fault. Right now, it was something he was thankful for… It meant that he didn't have to be seen. Not yet. Not until Tony Stark was dead. If things went correctly, then Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko would be handling that.

And then he wouldn't need to hide in the shadows…

After all, SHIELD had done wonders with his cover story. Nothing had been published about the truth. There were few people who knew the truth. That knew that he'd schemed and tried to kill Tony Stark. He deserved Stark Industries… He'd done all the work for years and Tony had just fiddled around. Sure, he was a genius, but he had become useless since Afghanistan…and it wasn't like he'd been killed like he was supposed to be.

He was outside of her doors and he knew she'd been hardly staying awake. He'd waited a while longer until he knew that she was barely staying awake. It would make over powering her and doing anything he wanted with her much more successful.

Carefully and quietly as possible, he turned the doorknob and then pushed the doors open. They were a little noisy, but obviously hadn't been loud enough since it didn't seem like Pepper had moved in response. He closed the door and turned the lock. He'd been in that office, he knew where things were…which was going to make this easier…

As he approached the desk, he'd noticed that Pepper was in fact asleep. Likely she'd just fallen asleep, her arms folded and her head resting on top of them. Her red hair was pulled back and twisted up into a bun. Obadiah's fingers were already twitching wanting to run his fingers through it.

He looked around. No alcohol in sight. Pepper wasn't like Tony; she liked business to be about business…she left out the unnecessary things… Instead, he found bottled water, lemon Perrier, and diet Pepsi in the mini fridge. He pulled out a Perrier with his gloved hand and then walked over to the desk. He removed the glove and stuffed it into his pocket before dropping a small bag of pills on the edge of Pepper's desk. He opened the bottle and dropped the cap in his pocket. He drank down about half of the beverage before slipping one of the pills in the bottle of the glass bottle. Obadiah dropped the bag of pills back into his jacket pocket and swirled the drink around as he watched the pill dissolve. He knew how long this was going to take and just had to keep Pepper in her office long enough for the pill to take effect…and he was also going to have to get it into her as well…

He wasn't too worried about the later.

Leaving the bottle on the edge of the desk, he moved towards her. She was so beautiful and he always felt like she'd wasted too much of her life working with Tony. If he'd had her working for him several years earlier then she'd have been completely his… Instead, he'd watched her flower…and unlike with other women, Pepper Potts seemed to just get better with age…

"Pepper," he whispered, barely audible. He moved behind her chair and slowly pulled the pins from her hair and set them on the table. Obadiah ran his fingers lightly to free her scarlet locks and just smiled. He just wanted to bind her hands, gag her, and throw her over his shoulder in order to take her with him. That wasn't possible, though. The whole world was watching Stark Industries and its new CEO.

The world's media would have that story in every single paper, website, and television channel. Pepper Potts' image would be all over the place… And if Tony wasn't dead yet, then he'd be scouring the Earth looking for her.

He couldn't have that.

He knew he'd have to be patient.

So, he'd steal away moments.

It would just have to be good enough…

…for now…

He pushed back her hair so that it was all to the right. Leaning down, he kissed her neck…savoring the touch and smell. She mumbled something and he continued. It was when she started to stir that he knew he was going to have to be ready. The moment that Pepper realized that he was there, touching her, and that he was alive…he knew there was going to be chaos and screaming. He just hoped that the building remained fairly clear.

Obadiah was going to push the limits though. He continued to kiss her… He wanted to get as much out of this window of time as he could. Who knew when he'd be able to take advantage of Pepper staying this late in such an empty building? Who knew how long it would be until someone came after him?

Time was precious.

She let out a soft moan. "Tony…"

Rage filled him as all he could think of was strangling Tony Stark with his own hands. At least he was fairly sure that Tony Stark hadn't slept with Pepper. So, at least there was that… This was probably a sad pathetic fantasy she had. He kissed her neck again and reached around to unbutton her blouse. He got about two unbuttons undone before he whispered into her ear. "I'm not Tony…"

It obviously took her a moment and then he knew she was awake. She started to struggle, but he held his hand across her chest to keep her in place. He kissed her neck again and felt her stiffen. "Shh… No use to scream… Security's downstairs… You'll just get yourself worked up anyways…" he said in a calm and collected voice.

"Obadiah," she breathed.

"Hello, Pepper," he whispered and nuzzled her neck a bit. "I've missed you…"

"You're dead," she whispered.

Obadiah slowly turned her chair to the side and moved his position so that he was in front of her. He could pin her against the chair if he needed to. "Hi," he said again with a smile on his face.

"H-h-how?"

"Does that really matter?" Obadiah asked. And when she shook her head, he just smiled. He ran his hand up and down her arm. He supposed that it was probably good that she didn't remember what had happened before…she would probably be even more terrified at the moment.

He reached out for the Perrier and held it out to her. He was hoping that she'd just drink it willingly. That would make this work a lot smoother, but he wasn't positive that would happen. Obadiah watched as she looked at it almost as if she were waiting. "It's okay…"

"How?" she demanded.

"I was dead," Obadiah told her. "And when they finally got me back… I was in a coma for a while…" He smiled, trying to get her to trust him for a moment. "You know… I'm sorry if I scared you before… I never wanted you to get mixed up in any of it, Pepper…"

Pepper just stared at him and then took the Perrier and took a sip. "I'm sure you'll understand that I'm not going to forgive you for trying to kill me and Tony and those agents…"

"Those agents were just in the way," Obadiah told her. "And you… I told Tony that he shouldn't have involved you, that I wanted you to live…" He reached out and stroked her cheek and when she pulled away he just smiled. "But Tony…"

"Afghanistan made him a better man, Obadiah," Pepper told him as she leaned forward a bit in her chair. "

"He was supposed to die in that desert," he said matter of factly.

Pepper just stared at him. "He's better. I promise."

"He gave you the company… He's not running it in any capacity," he told her. Obadiah knew how Tony was. He was sure that he was still partying in some capacity and had women still chasing him. Tony had never grown up…and Obadiah didn't think he ever would… He was a spoiled rich kid…and that's how he'd always be…chasing skirts and drinking…

"Are you just upset that I basically have your job?" she asked.

He just smiled. "Of course not… You did everything for Tony before." It was a lie, of course. He wanted that company back, but he knew that it would be productive if he ran it with Pepper. "This really just gives you the official title and more power without going through Tony…"

"What do you want?" Pepper asked.

He really wasn't getting anywhere with getting her to drink down the rest of the Perrier and he wanted to have his time… The time ticking away right now could be the time that it would take for the pill to take effect. Obadiah decided that he couldn't wait any longer. He pushed her back with one hand on her shoulder; pulled the Perrier from her hand with the other…he pushed the chair backwards and shoved the bottle towards her mouth. He tried to ensure that it didn't spill much.

"Don't fight, Pepper… I don't want to hurt you… You'll wonder about the bruises in the morning," Obadiah told her. He didn't care that she was gagging or that her eyes were watering. Once he had emptied the bottle into her mouth, he used his hand to cover it to keep her from spiting it out. "Swallow…or I'll have to give you more…and it would be a shame if you overdose…"

He watched as her eyes widened and reluctantly she swallowed it. He smiled and relaxed. Obadiah removed his hands from her and watched as she looked around to try to formulate an exit strategy. "Relax, Pepper…"

"What. Did. You. Give. Me?"

"The same thing I gave you last time," Obadiah told her like it was nothing.

Pepper just stared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know," Obadiah told her. "And you won't remember this time either…" He just smiled and ran his hands up and down both of her legs. When she tried to stop him, he just smiled icily at her. "Do you remember…before Tony came back…waking up in Tony's bathroom?"

He saw the look on her face. She remembered. He could tell that her fear level was rising. It made him feel good to have that kind of control over her. He loved how it felt to know that in a small amount of time, she would be fully his…

"You remember, don't you?" he asked.

Pepper didn't respond, but her face spoke volumes.

"Now, if you just remembered…more," Obadiah told her as he pushed his hands under the hem of her skirt. His actions were rewarded with Pepper bringing her leg up to kick him and her hands to push him away. He fell backwards for only a moment and unhurt, he let out a laugh as he got to his feet.

He wasn't worried.

Obadiah caught hold of Pepper's wrist and pulled her back. She was trying to fight, but she ended up falling over and he heard the crack of her heel breaking. Pepper cried out and he was over her hovering. "Tsk…tsk… This wouldn't have happened if you'd just cooperated," he scolded. He bent over, grabbed her arms, and hauled her up. Pepper whimpered when her bare foot came into contact with the carpet. "Don't worry… I'll make sure it gets iced…"

"Tony will—"

"Tony will what?" he spat. "Where's Tony at right now, Pepper?"

She just stared up at him.

He held on tight to her. Soon enough, the pill would kick in and they wouldn't have to do this… And though he didn't mind her having some fight in her, he was starting to think she'd injure him in some manner before she felt the effects…even if it was just twisting his wrist.

"He's at home in that damned workshop of his! He doesn't care about you! You're not JARVIS or made of metal…" He watched as she squeezed her eyes shut. He wondered if she was praying that Tony knew where she was and would come rescue her. "After his birthday party…can you really think he cares about you or is even stable?" Tears were running down her face and he felt like he was finally breaking her a bit. He knew that breaking her would be harder, but he felt like he was getting somewhere. "Where's Tony at, Pepper?" he asked and when she didn't answer, he shook her a bit. "Where?" he spat.

"Home," she barely got out as her voice cracked and a sob rang out.

Closer.

"He's never one to appreciate what's right in front of him," Obadiah told her as he released his hold on her. He ran his hand along her cheek and used the other hand to steady her. She just cringed and closed her eyes, but he was still touching her. "He's not coming for you, Pepper… Tony's not like us… He can't love…"

And she was staring at him. Her brilliant, bright blue eyes were piercing and angry. He liked this fire…

"You have some fantasy that he'll blast through that window over there," Obadiah said as he gestured to it. "That's_ not_ going to happen… You've been working for him so long… You've got yourself thinking that he actually_ cares_ about you. Think about it, Pepper. _Really think_. He doesn't… He only cares about one thing…and that's _Tony Stark_."

She fought against him, but he hauled her back to her desk chair and dropped her down into it. He removed the heel that was still in tact and flung it in the direction of the broken one. He leaned back towards her. "It's about time you stop your delusions of him being a good person…he's never changed…and he never will… You'll never be good enough for him to make it on his conquest list…" Obadiah smiled at her. "I told him long ago that you weren't to be on that list anyways…" He was quiet for a moment and then added. "He's probably fucking that new red headed assistant anyways…"

. . .

She felt sick and she just wanted someone to walk in… Pepper knew, though, that no one was there to check on her. Obadiah was right, the security was downstairs and without reason…they wouldn't make their way up to her office. Pepper kept trying to think of ways to get their attention or get out of the office… She'd even wondered if she could just get the phone off the hook, but she had no way to know if that would even get security's attention. Her cell phone was on the desk and she was sure that Obadiah would intercept her before she could reach it, let alone dial anyone…

"What do you want?" she asked again.

Honestly, she had a good idea what his answer was, but since he didn't answer before…she figured she'd ask again and hope for a better response. She still didn't know what he gave her… So far, she wasn't feeling anything…or did she? Pepper wasn't sure. She was already tired, but then her adrenaline kicked in… Her body didn't know what it wanted or felt.

"I want you, Pepper," he told her.

She felt sick.

Her stomach felt like it was churning with acid. Was he really telling her the truth? Had he done this before? The timing he'd told her before…she remembered that…but everything else was black… What happened? What did he do to her? And what was he planning on doing?

"Get. Out. Of. My. Office," Pepper said in the best calm and yet confident tone she could muster.

He wasn't moving and she wondered how this man that she worked with for so many years could do this to her. How he did what apparently he'd already done. She had trusted him… She and Tony had both trusted him. He'd only been biding his time… Pepper was still shocked at the fact that he was really there and was hoping that she'd wake up… This felt so real though…

"Don't worry… I'll make sure you're taken care of," Obadiah told her. The smile on his face only made her feel sicker. "I'll take you home, ice your ankle, and set your alarm… Tomorrow you'll just think that you drank too much…"

"I haven't drank like that since—"

"Since before," Obadiah said, his smile wider.

This was _not_ going to happen.

Pepper got herself ready and thought of what she could do. Her ankle didn't feel that bad…just like she'd twisted it. She was sure that she could run on it…at least to the door. She needed to get to the door and scream or set off an alarm…something…

He leaned in closer and she brought her feet up a bit from the ground and then connected them with Obadiah's chest and shoved with all her might. He fell backwards and she sprung out of the chair. She told herself to look back; it was bad enough that she could hear him. He was cursing and she was sure he was to his feet by now. As her hand felt the doorknob, she felt a sense of freedom. She pulled to open the door and could see the rest of that floor, but as she was about to step out and scream for help…Obadiah pulled her back inside.

"I'm not going to be nice now, Pepper!" he whispered roughly into her ear as his hand covered her mouth as he hauled her back towards her desk.

Fear overtook her and she just flailed, but realized that her body wasn't quite responding the way she wanted. She didn't feel the strength that she wanted when she tried to kick him. Pepper screamed and continued to try to kick.

Obadiah just laughed.

He threw her against the glass wall behind her desk. She hit it hard and crumpled to the ground. "You think Tony is going to suddenly wake up one day and run into your arms?" Obadiah asked her.

Of course she didn't. She was smarter than that. It was a crush. She knew it could never be anything more… She and Tony were two different people and he'd shown her just what kind of person he was… He had change, that had been for sure, but not leaps and bounds. He was still Tony Stark and he'd found life as a superhero too much to do alongside running Stark Industries…so now she did that.

She didn't respond and instead just pushed herself to her feet, her ankle ached and screamed at her as she put weight on it. Pepper had her hands on the glass in order to steady herself and she searched out the window for anyone who might see her. No one was there. And she found herself staring at the Stark Industries logo across the way briefly and wishing for Tony.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Obadiah said from behind her.

Pepper doubted him. She didn't think he cared as long as he got what he wanted in the end. She tried to pull in breath and focus her mind. Whatever he had given her was starting to make her feel slow…and tired…more tired than she already was. "You have to want something more," she said as she turned herself around. Her back against the glass, she just looked at him, searching his face. There had to be something more.

"Are you going to help me kill Tony?"

"No."

"Then, there really isn't anything else to discuss…" Obadiah told her. "Everything else, I can take…"

"Why did you wait until now?" Pepper asked.

"I told you," Obadiah said as he stepped closer to her. "I've had you before…"

She wondered if that was why she'd felt so uncomfortable around him after Tony had come home. She wondered if even though she didn't remember that deep down, she just knew. Pepper wasn't sure if it was possible, but there had to be a reason for it.

"And before that… Let's just say that I can be a patient man when I want to be," he told her.

Pepper reached out to grab the arm of her chair to help her steady herself. She lunged forward and grabbed her phone and quickly hit dial to the last number. Before anything else could be done, Obadiah was at her ear. "Whoever you just called is going to die unless you do what I say," he whispered roughly.

"Pepper? Pepper? You okay?"

She put the phone to her ear. "Happy… I'm sorry… I must have hit my phone. I'm fine. Just trying to get the last of work done here."

"I can come pick you up and drive you home," Happy offered.

"No, no… I told you, I'll be okay."

"You're sure?"

Pepper nodded at first and then pushed out, "Yes."

"Tell him that you need him to pick you up tomorrow morning," Obadiah whispered.

Pepper squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think about how doing this was keeping Happy safe. "But while I have you on the phone. Do you think you could pick me up in the morning?"

"Your place?" Happy asked.

"Yes."

"Of course. I'll be there at the normal time."

"Great. Thanks. Night."

"Night."

Obadiah pulled the phone from her grasp and powered it down before slipping it into his pocket. He slammed her back against the glass and Pepper let out a loud gasp as it felt like the air was being pushed from her lungs. His hand was on her throat and it wasn't making breathing any easier. "That was stupid."

"Please," Pepper begged. The edges of her vision were going dark. She clawed at his hands. "Please…"

Slowly he started to unbutton the other buttons on her blouse and soon, it was completely open. "You're going to behave a bit better," Obadiah told her, pushing against her throat for a moment before moving his hand.

Pepper's eyes filled with tears, but she gasped for breath.

"I'd love to strip you down here…but we don't want to muss your office," Obadiah told her. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, his lips were on hers and his tongue forced its way into her mouth.

Pepper tried to push him away, but she felt so weak now. She still tried to kick him. Her knee came up, but Obadiah blocked her and 'tsked' her for her efforts. "Please…stop," she begged once his mouth left hers.

"Oh, I'm not going to stop, Pepper," he whispered. "And you'll learn to enjoy our moments…" He moved her to her chair and left her for a moment.

Pepper felt like she could barely walk. She was so tired. All she wanted was someone to walk in. That was it. She blinked several times and tried to focus. To focus on anything.

Focus.

She realized that Obadiah was gathering her things. He had everything that needed to go home with her, including the now empty Perrier bottle and her heels. He tried to stuff everything into either his pockets or her bag. He looked frustrated, but she hoped that he screwed up. She hoped that he'd do something that would tell people that he was alive. If she didn't remember this, then someone had to.

. . .

Getting Pepper and her things out of the building had been a little more trying than he'd originally planned. He kept dropping things and kept having to go back to pick them up. Having to half drag Pepper hadn't helped anything either. But once she was out of the building and shoved into the back of the vehicle he'd brought, it was cake.

He already knew where Pepper lived and he'd double-checked Stark Industry records to make sure that she hadn't moved. She hadn't. Plus, when would she have the time? She seemed to only be barely home to shower, sleep, and get dressed for work the next day. That was it.

Her building wasn't really a challenge. He'd left her in the locked car at first. He'd taken everything else upstairs and looked around for a moment to ensure that everything that he'd want was there.

It was.

Luckily, Pepper didn't seem to have noisy neighbors that he could tell. So, when he carried her up to her place, no one said anything or came out…and he didn't hear sirens…so the police hadn't been called.

She was his.

Obadiah made sure that the door was locked and laid her on her couch. He went to dispose of the Perrier and cap in the trash there. He set her heels on the kitchen table and for a brief second thought about searching for some kind of glue in order to repair the one. He decided against it.

He found where she kept the liquor though and poured himself a glass. He was going to enjoy this night. He looked at the clock and frowned at the time. He wouldn't have as much time as he would have liked.

If only she'd just cooperated.

Obadiah stripped his jacket off and hung it over the back of a chair before loosening his tie. He took a seat in the chair and started to remove his shoes and socks. He wasn't sure how feisty she'd be this time and he wanted to be ready. He wanted to have as much time with her as possible…but at the same time he knew he had to disappear. She couldn't even suspect that someone else had been there.

He was about to unbutton his trousers when his phone sounded. He fumbled with it and then a moment later had it at his ear. "Yes?"

"You're going to be at the Expo?" Vanko asked.

"I can be if there's going to be a show."

"Oh, there will be a show…"

Obadiah smirked. This was why he'd not told Justin Hammer about his conversation with Ivan Vanko, who Obadiah knew was working currently with Hammer. Vanko was much more likely to deliver on his promises than Hammer. Hammer was all politics, big promises, and fancy pretty ties. He needed someone with the determination, know-how, and experience to go up against Stark.

"Just make sure that you only take care of Stark," Obadiah told him. "The spectators don't need to be harmed."

"Don't you worry about it," Vanko told him. "Stark will be dead tomorrow night. No problem."

"Tony Stark is not as easily killed as one might think," Obadiah told him. He had personal experience. He thought that the Iron Monger suit that he'd had built would out due Tony's Iron Man, but he'd been wrong. Tony had far more experience in the suit and knew weaknesses before others did. "Do it. I have things to tend to myself," Obadiah said as he looked over his shoulder to where Pepper was still asleep on the couch.

"Tomorrow," Vanko promised.

"Tomorrow," Obadiah repeated with a smile. Tomorrow would bring more than just Tony Stark's death…it would mean that Stark Industries and Pepper Potts would be his as well. Tomorrow would be the start of the new chapter in his life.

A new chapter for all of them…

. . .

Moans woke her and she felt weight on her. She struggled to move, but the weight was pinning her and it took her a moment to realize what was happening. Pepper tried to move again, but her limbs really weren't cooperating. She opened her mouth to scream and then his face came into view.

Obadiah Stane.

Her heart felt like it stopped.

She felt cold and sick.

His mouth was on her, effectively silencing any screaming she might have mustered before. Pepper tried to push him off of her as he continued to thrust into her. Tears sprung to life and she bit down on his tongue as it invaded her mouth. He growled at her, but didn't stop his actions; instead he just pulled away from her mouth and tightened his hold on her hips as he picked up the pace.

Pepper could vaguely remember him being in her office and forcing something into her. A drink…with something. She screwed her eyes shut and turned her head as the tears rolled down her face. She could barely move and all she could think was that she needed to get out of there…she needed help. It took her a moment, but she was fairly sure that she could at least scream now that Obadiah's mouth was off of hers. She was opening her mouth and she found it immediately covered by a hand, no matter what way she moved, it stayed with her.

Her body shook with sobs and her breathing became uneven. She was starting to feel like she couldn't breathe. She didn't know what was worse…Obadiah on top of her and inside of her or feeling like she was going to die… Pepper continued to sob into his hand. She started to claw at his offending hand when her vision started to blur and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Obadiah's hand moved from her mouth as he started to grunt. It just made Pepper feel like heaving. She was trapped, though, and right now breathing was her priority. She tried to breathe evenly, but it was impossible. He was finally still and she wished he were dead. Pepper hated to hate people or have such horrible thoughts, but he deserved it.

With all of her might, she managed to shove him off of her and her chest was thankful for it. It almost felt like her ribs were bruised from his weight. Pepper rolled to her side, so that her back was to Obadiah. She tried to concentrate on where things were. She knew that she should know, but right now…her mind was blank.

Where was the phone?

Where was her purse?

Was there anything she could use as a weapon?

Pepper tried to crawl, but didn't get very far. Her body just didn't want to cooperate. She saw a clock and it read a while after three in the morning. There was no hope of someone showing up and knocking on her door and possibly coming to her rescue.

No Natalie.

No Happy.

No Tony.

Tony…

She suddenly remembered how he'd gone on about Tony and she wondered if that was why he was really there. Revenge. Pepper tried again and only moved an inch. At this rate, she'd be to where the phone was on the other wall by the time someone knocked on her door to find out what was taking her so long.

"I'm bet you're wishing you had JARVIS installed here," Obadiah said.

Pepper froze and turned her head to see him pulling on his pants. She just hoped that that meant that he was done with her. If he tried anything else, she'd do pretty much the only defending she could do…she'd bite him.

"Last time… You kept trying to get him to help you," he continued. "I even tried to disable your access to JARVIS, but I was denied… I guess we know who Tony liked better…"

She watched him and just kept chanting in her head for him to leave. That's all she wanted. He could leave. He could go to the other side of the world and die there. She just wanted to curl up and be left alone.

"I'm sure you're ready for me to leave…but I'm going to stay a little longer," Obadiah told her. "I need to make sure you're taken care of… After all, you and I…we may be partners…in more than one way by tomorrow night…or should I say, tonight!"

She didn't know what he was talking about. He was talking pure nonsense as far as she was concerned. She wasn't about to be his partner in any way. He made her sick and she just wanted him dead.

He moved closer and leaned over her before pulling her up. He kissed her cheek before dragging her in the direction of the bathroom. He just let her drop to the floor once they were inside. He busied himself with prepping the tub and Pepper just tried to think of how she could kill him or severely injure him with something in the bathroom…and do it easily.

. . .

Washing her had been more difficult than he'd originally planned. She'd passed out halfway through and he'd almost accidently drowned her at one point. She was okay though. She'd coughed it all up.

Obadiah left Pepper wrapped in a towel in her bed and propped her foot up on a pillow. He covered the injured ankle with a hand towel and then put the ice pack on top of it. He wanted it to look like she'd passed out because of something that she'd taken. He didn't want her suspicious.

He'd scoured her medicine cabinet and had found a bottle of prescription grade pain killers and anti-anxiety medication that had both been filled around the time of Pepper starting to work with Tony. She'd been with the company longer than that, though. He noticed that the pain killers looked half empty while the anti-anxiety looked like she'd taken a couple and then decided it wasn't helping…or maybe she just realized that she'd get used to the breed of stress that Tony brought on.

He hadn't missed the scratches on his face and hands when he'd been in the bathroom. Pepper had gotten him pretty good across one cheek, which he'd cringed only for a second at the sight of in her bathroom mirror and then when he'd reached for the pill bottles, he'd noticed his hands. It didn't hurt, but he was running a sort of high right now…so maybe later it would hurt or sting.

So, he started to set things up. He glanced at the clock and knew he really needed to be out of there soon, sadly…or else he'd enjoy Pepper again. He opened a bottle of wine and poured a half glass and then poured nearly all of it down the sink. He let water run in the sink in order to get rid of the smell and then moved the glass and the bottle to Pepper's bedroom. He set them on her bed stand with the pills nearby. He was hoping that this would help explain any questions she may have about the blacked out time she was sure to worry about.

Obadiah disappeared into the other room and started to pick up everything. He needed to leave no trace behind.

All of his items were stacked by the door and he tried to put other things in place. He wiped up any mess from the floors and rinsed out the glass he'd used the night before and then returned it to its proper place.

He turned her phone back on and set her wake up alarm before setting it on the bed stand as well. Obadiah leaned over and kissed her before exiting her bedroom. Tomorrow, he'd have her again and this time…he hoped she'd cooperate a bit more.

As he was leaving, he noticed that her house phone's message light was lit up. Curious, he pressed play.

"You have one missed message," the voicemail lady announced. "First missed message."

"Hey Pep… I know you're mad. I figured if I tried to call your cell phone that you wouldn't answer… You of all people know how much I screw up, but you also know my heart the best," Tony told her. "We need to have lunch or dinner… You tell me when and where you want to go…and I'll be there. I promise. I want to make things right. I miss you."

Obadiah frowned and pressed the button on the phone.

"This message has been deleted."

He smiled and double checked to make sure that Pepper's purse and keys were in place before letting himself out.

. . .

The sound of her alarm woke her and Pepper found herself barely being able to drag herself to a sitting position and then to turn off her alarm. She glared at the time on it. She didn't feel like she'd slept nearly enough. She searched the room for her clock and groaned when it told her that the phone's time was in fact, correct.

She went to move her legs when she noticed the ice pack. Curious, she stared at it. She couldn't remember…she couldn't remember putting it on her ankle… She couldn't remember _why_ she needed it… She couldn't remember the night… Pepper looked around for clues and noticed the wine bottle, wine glass that still had a bit left in it, and the pill bottles. The bottle was nearly empty. Alcohol plus any kind of pills tended to be a bad combo and she figured she was just lucky that she hadn't overdosed or something… She was fairly sure that most labels warned against alcohol.

"Good job, Pepper," she muttered to herself and removed the warm ice pack. She brought her legs over so that she was sitting on the edge of her bed. She sat there for a moment and rubbed her arms. She felt so raw and her skin was almost aching at how dry it felt. Giving herself a moment, she knew she was going to have to test the ankle. It ached, but she didn't remember what she did and how bad it had been.

Slowly, she put weight on her ankles. It wasn't that bad, but she figured that she should probably take it easy. She wasn't going to not wear heels, but she'd stay off of her feet as much as was humanly possible. Pepper sighed and made her way to the bathroom. Her stomach was bothering her, she blamed the alcohol… She'd eat something when her stomach settled. Right now, she was going to brush her teeth and do her morning routine. She needed to be ready…she was fairly sure that Happy was coming to get her. Or did she bring a car home from Stark Industries? Whatever it was, Pepper was going to get some things done before checking in with Happy.

When she entered the bathroom, she stopped for a moment. Her towel was out of place and it was obvious that she'd been in the shower, but the shower door hadn't been wiped down. She always wiped down the shower door…or else it left spots. She didn't like spots. She frowned deeply, she was going to have to clean that door, but it was going to have to wait until later. Pepper was sure that if her ankle had hurt so badly for her to resort to wine and pills the night before that that was likely why she'd skipped wiping it down… It irked her, though. It was so unlike her. She liked order and routine, even when it came to home…especially when it came to spots on the shower door.

Pepper had pretty much done everything except change into the clothes she was going to wear for the day. She'd brushed her teeth and hair, fixed her hair, put on make-up, and felt like she'd put on a whole tube of lotion. She entered her walk in closet and selected her outfit. She laid it out on her bed before going to look for her favorite pair of shoes. They were going to be the most comfortable and most likely the most stable for the day. Looking all over, she couldn't find them. She always put them in the same place and they weren't there. She sighed and then remembered she'd worn them the day before. So, she set out looking for them.

"No," Pepper practically cried when she found them on the table in the dining area. Her favorite pair had a broken heel. That explained her ankle. She picked up the broken one and looked it over. She was sure that she could glue it, but it wasn't going to be something she could wear today. She frowned deeply and then jumped when there was a knock at the door.

Looking at the clock, she sighed. She was running behind and that was most likely Happy. She'd forgotten to call him and figure out what they were doing. She was glad that she was walking around in a robe rather than just her undergarments, it made answering the door quicker.

"Hi," Pepper said as she opened the door. "I'm just running behind…"

"It's okay…" Happy said.

She let him in and then closed the door behind him. "Not having a good morning," she explained. "I broke a heel and twisted my ankle yesterday—"

"How?"

"I don't remember," she told him honestly. "I came home and took a pain pill and drank a glass or two of wine…and I just don't remember." She was a bit embarrassed, but she showed Happy the evidence that was her shoe. "And it's my favorite pair."

"I'm sure we can get it repaired."

"I can glue it."

"Give me the glue and I'll do it while you dress…"

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked a bit hesitantly. "You really don't have—"

"Pepper, it's okay… I'm offering," Happy told her with a smile. "You probably haven't had breakfast or coffee yet."

"No and my stomach's a bit upset," Pepper told him as she handed him the glue.

"Go on, get dressed…" Happy told her as he took the glue. "We'll sort the rest out after."

It didn't take Pepper long and she purposely tried to be quick so that she wasn't making them behind. She hated that. She was sure that Natalie was waiting for them and she didn't like to keep people waiting. Tony always did that and she hated that. She emerged from her bedroom; she'd found another pair of heels to wear. They weren't her favorite, but they were going to be the best alternate.

"Don't forget," Happy said. "Tonight we're supposed to be at the Stark Expo for that Hammer presentation." He paused for a moment. "What are they presenting anyway?"

Pepper shrugged. "No idea…"

Happy held up the heel. "See… Good as new. Just going to leave it here to dry." He set it down on the table in the best position for it to dry correctly. "Ready?" he asked and headed towards the coat rack to retrieve her coat.

Pepper picked up her purse and followed Happy to the door. "You're a God send."

"We're going to stop for breakfast and coffee… I don't care if it's just a donut… You need something. Today's going to be a long day," Happy told her.

"Natalie's waiting—"

"Natalie can wait ten more minutes," Happy told her. "You're the boss now. You can be a few minutes late… Plus, we'll bring her something."

Pepper just smiled at him. "Thank you."

He held out the coat and helped her into it. "Always." He offered her his arm and escorted her out of her building.

. . .

The Hammer Industries presentation was nothing spectacular as far as Obadiah was concerned. They were drones…and then a modification of one of Tony's suits. And to be honest, the suit was the best thing up on that stage. It was a rip-off. Nothing was essentially original or ground breaking. He was sure that Hammer was just trying to make up for the embarrassment at the Senate hearing that had been televised.

He had the perfect spot where he could keep an eye on things. He just wanted to see the show. Not Hammer's presentation, but the death of Tony Stark. This was going to be it… He was going to be alive in the morning…alive to all of the public…and he'd be in charge of Stark Industries once again…and without Tony alive and no Stark heir, there would be no need to keep the Stark name…

Stane Industries.

He liked the sound of that.

The company would be his. Pepper would be his. Life would be in its rightful order. He could see the papers now… Tony's death would be all over the papers, but he'd come up with a good cover for how he was still alive…something that would make him as big of a headline as Tony when he'd returned from Afghanistan.

He scanned the audience and spotted Pepper with the new assistant. She was gorgeous and he made a mental note to check her out once he was back in his proper position. After all, he had needs…and having some variety wouldn't be a bad thing. Being in a place of such power tended to bring a lot of benefits. He was more than okay with the accessibility to women.

When Tony flew in, Obadiah just grinned and waited. He knew that shit was about to hit the fan, so to speak. This was going to be Tony's last dance… It was obvious that Hammer wasn't behind anything that happened… It was all Vanko. He knew that Hammer wasn't good enough to really kill Stark. He didn't have the heart.

The Iron Man flew out of the dome and the drones followed. He was certain that there was no way that Tony could survive. As glass fell and chaos seemed to have rung out, he moved his gaze to where Pepper was. She wasn't there anymore. He searched the crowd and finally spotted her. She was safe, for now, that was what he was concerned about. The last thing he wanted was to have Vanko kill Stark, but accidentally kill Pepper as well. He could live with it, but he would prefer that she lived.

Time passed and people were being forced out of the park. He managed to find follow Pepper. He had to admit that her go-to attitude and confidant authority air was turning him on. He hadn't seen her like this. Pepper had always been the person to keep Tony out of trouble, as much as possible, and to keep him on task. She had never been the one ordering people around and having people arrested and taken away in handcuffs by the police. He wanted to grab her and push her up against a wall and take her right there.

He couldn't though.

Mainly because there were so many people present.

He kept an eye on her though. He wanted to grab her as soon as he knew that Tony was dead. He needed to have his fix. He had a bag of pills still in his pocket because he knew it was likely he'd need them. Obadiah would work on getting her to consent later…

She'd been left, he noticed, but he stayed back out of sight. She was out on the steps. No assistant, no Happy, no police…no one… Just Pepper…

Obadiah was fairly sure that he noticed the drones and their purpose as soon as they'd been obviously triggered before Pepper had. He'd been about to run in and try to get her out of the way when he saw an incoming Iron Man. Obadiah made a run for it and cursed. He was sure that this meant that Vanko had failed.

What was so special about Tony Stark that seemed to make him so invincible?

They had had the numbers and the firepower and apparently he'd still managed to come out on top. He wanted the company, his life, and Pepper. He was going to get those things…even if it took years… He was going to make it happen. He'd ruin and then kill Stark…and then he'd take everything that Stark took for granted.

. . .

Her heart and her head were full of mixed emotions. Pepper had been so worried about her broken heel and the night she didn't remember that morning, but now all she could do was reel from the emotions. She was so happy that Tony was okay, but at the same time she was so stressed out that she'd just quit Stark Industries and being the CEO. It was the best job in the world, but she couldn't handle the stress… She couldn't let that eat her alive.

"We don't have to make these decisions now," Tony told her after they were alone.

"I can't—I can't—"

"You're the strongest person I know," Tony told her.

Running or managing anything or anyone with the name Stark in the title really was something that you had to judge in dog years. It was just so much. She wished at that moment that a missing night and a sore ankle was all she had to worry about. Right now she was running through all of the things that needed to be done (if she really hadn't quit).

"Let's have dinner," Tony offered. "I promised you dinner."

"When?"

"I left you a message," Tony told her. "On your voicemail. Home voicemail. I didn't think you'd pick up your cell phone the other day when you were so mad at me…"

"I'm still mad at you," Pepper pointed out. "And I didn't get it…or I did…and I don't remember… I'm not sure…" She sighed and rubbed her face. She looked at him again. "And you! How could you not tell me you were dying?!"

"Okay…okay… Can you yell at me over dinner? Dessert? Dessert's relaxing right? Doesn't it release endorphins?"

"I don't know," Pepper told him, she was a little fried. She honestly didn't know what to do. Was she really serious about resigning? What would she do if she really resigned? What would she do if she didn't? She just needed to think.

"Dessert. Please, Pepper… Let me beg you to stay," Tony requested.

Pepper looked at him quite seriously. "You're going to beg?"

"I think I understand the basic mechanics of it."

"I don't think you know how to do it."

"I'll give it my best shot," Tony promised.

"This better be good dessert," Pepper told him.

"We could always have dessert…to go," Tony told her with a smirk.

"No," Pepper told him quickly. She smirked back at him. If she hadn't been so shaken and completely stressed out then maybe she would have at least thought about his proposition for a minute, but not tonight. Tonight, she needed to think clearly and make good choices.

"I had to try," he told her with a shrug.

She found herself moving before she could really think things through. Her lips were on his again. And it was nice. It was like she was releasing the weight of the world. How long had she had a crush on him? How long that she was really willing to admit it? And now, here she was…kissing Tony Stark…again. He was offering to have dessert, he was offering her his bed, and he was talking about begging. What alternate universe had she just crossed over into?

"Okay," Pepper said. "Dessert…and you can beg."

"I think I may be good at it."

"I think it's something you're going to have to practice," she teased.

"I'll just take it as a challenge."

"The begging?"

Tony stared at her. "Among other things…"

Pepper could feel the heat of the blush that filled her cheeks with color. Here they were on top of a rooftop after almost getting blown up…and Tony Stark was flirting with her. She was sure that they should be doing about a hundred other important things, but right now she didn't care.

She just wanted dessert.

. . .

The End.


End file.
